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The 


L 


Chicago  Public  Library 


A    Handbook 


Third  Edition 


Chicago 

MCMXI 


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BOARD    OF   DIRECTORS 

ROBERT  J.  ROULSTON,   President 

GEORGE  B.  AR^ISTRONG,  Vice-President 

GRAHAM  TAYLOR 

JULIUS  STERN 

ANTONIO  LAGORIO 

FREDERICK  H.  RAWSON 

MORTIMER  FRANK 

HENRY  V.  FREEMAN 

HORATIO  L.  WAIT 


HARRY  G.  WILSON,  Secretary 
HENRY  E.  LEGLER,  Librarian 


The  Chicago  Public  Library  p,  ^ 

The  Chicago  Pubhc  Library  is  a  free  pubHc  institu- 
tion, estabhshed  under  the  lUinois  Hbrary  law  of  1872, 
and  maintained  by  the  city  as  part  of  its  pubhc  educa- 
tional system.  It  derives  its  revenue  from  an  annual 
library  tax  of  approximately  four-tenths  of  a  mill,  and  is 
governed  by  a  Board  of  Directors  of  nine  members  ap- 
pointed by  the  JNIayor  and  holding  office  for  three  years. 
It  is  housed  in  a  building  built  entirely  at  the  public  ex- 
pense, which  ranks  among  the  largest  and  finest  library 
buildings  in  the  country.  It  is  accessibly  situated  on  a 
tract  of  public  land  half  a  square  in  extent,  on  ]\Iichigan 
boulevard,  fronting  eastward  upon  Grant  Park,  at  a  point 
almost  equidistant  from  the  north  and  south  Hmits  of  the 
city. 

The  Library  owes  its  origin  to  a  movement  started  in 
England,  after  the  great  fire,  by  Thomas  Hughes,  the 
famous  author  of  'Tom  Brown's  School  Days."  Mr. 
Hughes  and  those  associated  with  him  made  an  appeal  to 
authors,  publishers,  scientific  societies,  and  literary  insti- 
tutions of  Great  Britain,  which  resulted  in  the  donation 
of  about  7,000  volumes.  These  books,  each  of  which  bore 
a  book-plate  stating  that  it  was  presented  to  the  city  of 
Chicago  toward  the  formation  of  a  free  library,  after  the 
great  fire  of  1871,  as  a  mark  of  English  sympathy,  formed 
the  nucleus  of  the  Chicago  Public  Library.  When  the 
donation  w^as  received  in  Chicago  in  1872,  the  books  were 
temporarily  stored  in  the  'Tank,"  a  part  of  the  tempor- 
ary city  hall  building,  known  as  the  ^'Rookery,"  at  Adams 


G  The   Chicago   Public   Library 

and  LaSalle  streets.  On  January  1,  1873,  a  reading-room 
was  opened  in  the  third  story  of  the  City  Hall,  adjacent 
to  and  connected  with  the  "Tank."  'Mr.  W.  B.  Wicker- 
sham,  who  had  been  appointed  secretary  on  July  20,  18T2, 
was  placed  in  charge.  On  October  25,  18T3,  Dr.  William 
F.  Poole  w-as  appointed  librarian,  a  position  that  he  held 
until  August  1,  1887,  when  he  resigned  to  take  charge 
of  the  Xewberry  Library.  Mr.  Frederick  H.  Hild  was 
appointed  to  succeed  him  on  October  15,  1887,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Henry  E.  Legler,  the  present  librarian, 
October  11,  1909. 

On  Alarch  16,  1874,  the  Library  was  removed  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  ^ladison  street  and  Wabash  avenue, 
v\diere  the  circulating  department  was  opened  on  May  1, 
1874,  with  17,355  volumes.  On  ]\Iay  27,  1875,  the  Li- 
brary was  removed  to  the  third  and  fourth  floors  of  the 
Dickey  building,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Lake  and 
Dearborn  streets,  where  it  remained  until  Alay  24,  188G, 
wdien  it  again  found  new  quarters  in  the  fourth  story  of 
the  City  Hall,  to  accommodate  its  120,000  volumes.  Here 
it  remained  until  the  removal,  in  September,  1897,  to  its 
permanent  home  in  the  new  building. 

The  Chicago  Public  Library  building  occupies  the  rec- 
tangular site  formerly  known  as  Dearborn  Park,  bounded 
by  iMichigan  avenue,  W^ashington  street.  Garland  court, 
and  Randolph  street,  its  longest  facade  being  on  the 
avenue,  wdth  a  court  in  the  rear  for  future  extensions. 
Its  extreme  dimensions  are  352  1/2  by  146  1/3  feet,  and 
the  top  of  its  cornice  is  90  feet  above  the  sidewalk,  ex- 
clusive of   the   crowning  balustrade.      It   contains   three 


The   Chicago   Public  L 


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principal  stories,  with  two  intermediate  floors  and  a  base- 
ment. 

The  exterior  is  of  Bedford  Hmestone  with  a  granite 
base.  The  foundation  rests  on  piles,  the  tops  of  which 
are  driven  to  an  average  depth  of  74  feet  below  the  side- 
walk. The  walls  are  of  solid  masonry  construction,  and 
the  floors  are  of  steel  beams  and  hollow  tile  arches.  The 
building  is  practically  incombustible. 

The  general  treatment  of  the  exterior  of  the  building 
is  a  harmonious  combination  of  various  styles  of  archi- 
tecture, the  lower  part  being  in  the  neo-Greek  stvle  with 
wide  arched  windows,  and  the  upper  part  in  Grecian  style 
with  pillars  and  columns  separated  by  windows.  The 
entablature  is  of  pronounced  Roman  character,  with 
heavy  projecting  garlands  and  lions'  heads  sculptured  on 
the  frieze.  The  two  entrances  to  the  building  vary  great- 
ly in  style,  the  Washington  street  entrance  being  a  wide 
arched  portal  leading  directly  to  the  grand  staircase  hall, 
\yhi\e  the  Randolph  street  entrance  is  a  portico  with  mas- 
sive Greek  columns  before  the  three  doorways  opening 
into  a  spacious  corridor,  with  the  north  staircase  and  ele- 
vators leading  to  the  Grand  Army  Memorial  Hall  and  the 
reading-rooms  above.  Entering  the  building  from  Wash- 
ington street,  the  visitor  finds  himself  at  once  under  the 
massive  elliptical  arch  of  the  main  staircase,  at  the  foot 
of  which,  embedded  in  the  green  and  white  mosaic  tloc^r, 
is  a  large  bronze  replica  of  the  corporate  seal  of  Cliicago. 
The  ascent  is  by  means  of  wide  marble  steps,  with  bal- 
conies at  easy  distances,  and  ends  in  the  Delivery  Room, 
which  is  entered  by  three  open  archways  at  the  top  land- 
ing.    Italian  statuary  marble  from  the  famous  quarries 


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of  Carrara  is  used  in  this  portion  of  the  Iniilding,  richly 
inlaid  with  mosaics  of  glass,  mother-of-pearl,  and  semi- 
precious stones,  and  in  the  balustrades  on  the  staircase, 
with  small  centerpieces  of  the  rare  and  beautiful  Con- 
nemara  marble.  On  the  third-floor  landing  panels  of 
mosaic  design,  with  suitable  inscriptions  and  the  names 
of  great  writers,  are  set  in  the  walls. 

The  Delivery  Room  proper,  which  extends  across  the 
entire  width  of  the  building,  with  a  length  of  134  and  a 
depth  of  48  feet,  is  divided  into  three  parts  by  a  rotunda 
in  the  center,  surmounted  by  a  beautiful  stained-glass 
dome.  Elliptical  arches  rise  from  the  marble  piers  at  the 
four  corners,  and  the  walls  above  are  elaborately  covered 
with  mosaics,  into  which  are  worked  the  devices  of  the 
early  printers  and  other  appropriate  designs.  The  wings 
ot  the  Delivery  Room  are  wainscoted  in  Carrara  marble, 
above  which  extends  a  frieze  of  glass  mosaic,  containing 
large  panels  of  green  serpentine  marble  inlaid  with  white 
inscriptions  in  ten  different  languages,  and  also  in  various 
characters,  from  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  to  modern 
Roman.  Four  large  book-rooms,  equipped  with  three- 
deck  steel  stacks  with  glass  floors,  and  having  a  capacity 
of  350,000  volumes,  open  directly  into  the  Delivery  Room. 
The  west  end  of  the  room  comprises  the  Open  Shelf  De- 
partment, and  the  corresponding  east  end  is  occupied  by 
the  Registry  Department.  The  Information  Desk  and 
tables  for  the  users  of  finding  lists  are  also  located  here. 
On  this  floor,  also,  are  the  administrative  rooms  of  the 
Library. 

The  floor  above  is  occupied  by  the  Reference  and 
Reading  Rooms.     The  former  room,  138  feet  long,  38 


The   Chicago   Public  Library        11 

feet  wide,  and  30  feet  high,  with  accommodations  for  225 
readers,  is  situated  on  the  east  front  of  the  building,  and 
is  directly  over  the  book-rooms,  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected by  means  of  automatic  electric  lifts,  thus  insur- 
ing rapid  service.  It  is  reached  from  the  south  staircase 
by  a  long  corridor,  and  adjoining  it  on  the  south  are  the 
public  card  catalogue  room,  the  room  for  special  stu- 
dents, and  a  three-story  stack  room  for  bound  periodicals. 
Here  the  scheme  of  decoration  is  much  less  elaborate  than 
on  the  floor  below,  the  only  noticeable  coloring  being  in 
the  low  wainscoting  and  baseboards  of  beautifully  mot- 
tled Siena  marble.  On  the  top  floor,  at  the  south  end, 
are  the  exhibit  rooms  and  the  rooms  for  art  books. 

The  great  Reading  Room  for  periodicals  and  news- 
papers, 142  feet  long  and  55  feet  wide,  seating  450  read- 
ers, occupies  the  entire  north  front  of  the  building  on  the 
fourth  floor,  adjoining  the  Reference  Room.  Richly 
decorated  in  warm  browns  and  greens,  with  verde-an- 
tique  marble  pilasters  and  wainscoting,  this  is  one  of  the 
most  imposing  rooms  of  the  building.  Directly  under  it. 
and  of  nearly  the  same  dimensions,  is  the  Grand  Army 
Memorial  Hall,  a  splendid  and  dignified  apartment,  in 
which  again  the  deep  green  of  the  verde-antique  marble, 
combined  with  the  general  color  scheme  of  red  and 
brown,  produces  an  effect  of  great  beauty.  Plaster  re- 
liefs of  ancient  accoutrements  of  war  are  introduced  in 
the  frieze,  flag-cases  of  bronze  are  placed  at  intervals 
around  the  room,  and  cases  for  relics  occupy  the  center 
oi  the  hall.  The  handsome  lobby  leading  into  the  hall  is 
lighted  by  a  dome  similar  to  that  at  the  south  end  of  the 
building.     Council  rooms  and  antc-cham1)crs,  all  luxur- 


THE  DELIVERY  ROOM 


The  Chicago   Public  Library        i:'. 

iously  furnished,  complete  the  suite  occupied  by  the  local 
posts  of  the  G.  A.  R.  The  remaining  rooms  of  the  1)uil(l- 
ing  have  been  finished  with  a  view  to  their  utility  rather 
than  for  artistic  effect,  though  the  heavily  veined  pink 
Tennessee  marble  used  in  the  north  staircase,  and  in  all 
subsidiary  corridors  and  rooms,  is  not  without  attractive- 
ness. 

The  Library  building  contains  a  complete  mechanical 
equipment  for  the  generation  of  light,  heat,  and  power. 
The  devices  for  washing  the  air  used  in  ventilating  the 
building  and  the  apparatus  for  distributing  the  same  are 
modern  and  up-to-date.  The  elevators  in  the  building  are 
operated  by  electricity  generated  on  the  premises,  and 
there  is  special  provision  for  protection  against  damage 
from  f^re  which  might  break  out  in  the  buildings  west 
and  north  of  the  Library. 

The  cost  of  the  building  was  about  $2,000,000,  which 
-  includes  the  furniture,  book  stacks,  and  machinery.  To 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Coolidge,  then  resident  member  of  tlie 
firm  of  Shepley,  Rutan  &  Coolidge,  is  chiefly  due  the 
credit  for  the  design  and  construction  of  the  buddmg 
and  for  its  decorations. 

'  On  January  1,  1911,  the  Library  contained  110,000  vol- 
umes and  about  75,000  unbound  pamphlets.  The  annual 
expenditure  for  the  maintenance  and  operation  of  the 
Library  is  about  $350,000.  The  number  of  employees 
in  all  the  departments  is  260. 

How   to   Become   a   Book-borrower.— The   right   o 
drawing  books   from  the  Public  Library  belongs  to  all 
who  reside  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  also  to  those  who 
make  their  homes  in  the  suburbs  within  the  hunts  of 


14        The   Chicago   Public   Library 

Cook  County  and  are  regularly  employed  in  the  city.  In 
order  to  become  a  book-borrower  it  is  necessary  only  to 
file  an  application  giving  the  name  and  residence  of  the 
applicant  and  bearing  the  signature  of  a  second  person, 
who  must  be  an  actual  resident  of  the  city,  appearing 
as  such  in  the  latest  city  directory.  This  person  becomes 
the  "guarantor"  to  the  Library  for  the  proper  observance 
of  the  library  regulations  on  the  part  of  the  applicant. 
These  regulations  merely  provide  that  books  drawn  for 
home  use  must  be  returned  within  the  stated  period,  and 
must  not  be  defaced  or  injured.  It  is  therefore  a  simple 
matter  to  find  a  friend,  a  neighbor,  or  an  employer  who 
will  co-operate  to  this  extent  with  any  one  desiring  to 
use  the  Public  Library. 

The  cards  that  are  issued  to  the  appHcant,  after  due 
examination  of  his  application,  entitle  him  to  draw  two 
books,  w^hich  may  be  retained  for  two  weeks,  and  may 
be  renewed  for  the  same  period.  The  cards  remain  in 
efifect  for  three  years  from  the  date  of  registration,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  term  a  new  application  must  be 
filed. 

What  the  Library  has  to  Offer.— The  425,000  vol- 
umes which  are  contained  in  the  Chicago  Public  Library 
may  be  broadly  classified  as  follows : 

Histor}^,  biograph}',  and  travels         .          .          .  53,000 

Fine  and  practical  arts,  and  sciences          .          .  47,000 

Poetry,    drama,    essays     .....  14,300 

Mental  and  moral  science,  religion           .          .  14,500 

Language,  literature,  bibliography    .          .          .  18,500 

Political  and  social  science       ....  14,000 

Dictionaries  and  encyclopaedias         .          .         .  6,500 

Periodicals  and  newspapers       ....  47,000 


The  Chicago   Public  Library 


25,000 


Government  and  state  publications    . 

English  prose  fiction,  and  juvenile     .          .          .  126,000 

Books  in  foreign  languages      ....  58,000 

Books   for   the  blind          .....  1,200 

A  somewhat  closer  analysis  will  reveal  the  especial 
strength  of  its  collections  in  certain  departments,  de- 
veloped to  a  higher  degree  of  completeness  than  the  rest, 
without,  however,  impairing  the  efficiency  of  the  general 
library. 

Foremost  among  these  is  the  department  of  American 
history,  general  and  local,  American  travel  and  biography 
and  the  whole  range  of  topics  included  in  the  term 
''Americana,"  comprising  accounts  of  early  voyages  of 
discovery  and  exploration,  narratives  of  early  settlers, 
the  history  of  the  American  Indians,  and  the  history  of 
all  sections  of  the  country;  of  states,  counties,  and  cities, 
together  with  a  very  large  and  complete  collection  of  Civil 
War  literature,  including  the  regimental  histories  of  hun- 
dreds of  the  volunteer  regiments. 

Another  department  to  which  particular  attention  has 
been  given  is  that  of  the  fine  and  the  industrial  arts,  em- 
bracing painting  and  sculpture,  the  theory  and  practice 
of  the  arts,  architecture,  design,  decoration  and  orna- 
ment, tapestry,  furniture,  costume,  ceramics,  photography, 
illumination  of  manuscripts,  printing,  illustration,  and 
bookbinding,  and  many  other  branches  of  the  arts  and 
crafts.  Reproduced  in  sumptuous  volumes,  preserving 
all  their  original  beauty  of  color  and  detail,  the  works  of 
the  masters  are  here  made  available  for  the  guidance  of 
teacher  and  student,  and  the  inspiration  of  artisan  and 
amateur. 


16        The  Chicago   Public   Library 

Almost  equally  strong  are  the  resources  of  the  Public 
Library  in  the  departments  of  the  useful  arts,  technology, 
natural  science,  and  kindred  subjects;  particular  atten- 
tion being  given  to  the  popular  side  of  these  studies,  to 
books  designed  for  younger  readers,  and  to  works  adapted 
for  home  study  and  use  by  the  layman;  leaving  to  Chi- 
cago's great  scientific  library,  the  John  Crerar,  the  task 
for  which  it  was  specially  organized,  of  providing  for  the 
expert  and  the  practitioner.  In  English  drama,  also,  the 
Library  is  unusually  rich,  while  its  Shakespeare  literature 
is  so  voluminous  and  so  important  that  it  has  been  made 
the  subject  of  a  special  bulletin,  recording,  among  other 
things,  no  less  than  fifty  editions  of  that  author's  com- 
plete works  in^seven  languages. 

Worthy  of  mention,  too,  are  the  periodical  section 
(47,000  volumes),  comprising  many  volumes  and  com- 
plete sets  of  great  value  and  rarity,  and  the  foreign 
section,  with  its  large  and  well-chosen  collection  of  dis- 
tinguished writers,  among  which  the  literatures  of  fifteen 
European  peoples  are  represented. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  add,  that  in  developing  these  speci- 
fic collections,  the  symmetry  and  usefulness  of  the  Li- 
brary as  a  general  repository  has  not  been  allowed  to 
sufifer.  Keeping  abreast  of  the  times  and  the  latest  liter- 
ature in  all  departments,  it  aims  to  serve  all  its  patrons 
impartially,  and  to  be  able  to  offer  something  to  every 
one  who  comes  in  good  faith  to  use  and  profit  by  its 
treasures. 

Drawing  Books  for  Home  Use. — Having  obtained 
a  card  after  the  manner  described,  it  is  necessary  to  be- 
come familiar  with  the  method  by  which  books  may  be 


The   Chicago   Public   Lter 


A  K  \- 


drawn  for  home  use.    This  is  exceedingly  simple,  and  re- 
quires little  explanation. 

As  guides  to  the  literature  on  its  shelves,  the  Lil)rary 
publishes  finding  lists,  each  embracing  the  works  in  a 
particular  class  or  group  of  classes  :  History  and  Biology, 
Fiction  and  Juvenile,  German  Literature,  French  Litera- 
ture, etc.  These  finding  lists,  which  may  be  consulted 
at  the  main  Library  and  at  the  stations,  or  may  be  pur- 
chased at  prices  ranging  from  five  to  fifteen  cents,  give 
the  authors  and  titles  of  the  books,  in  alphabetical  order 
under  each  subhead,  together  with  a  letter  and  number 
annexed  to  each  title,  which  is  the  Library  shelf  mark 
for  the  book  in  question.  Having  made  a  selection  of 
books  that  one  desires  to  read,  the  letter  and  number 
(not  the  author's  name  or  title)  are  written  an  a  slip, 
which  is  handed  to  a  clerk  in  the  Delivery  Room.*  The 
first  book  found  is  brought  and  charged  to  the  borrower 
on  his  borrower's  card,  which  is  stamped  with  the  date 
oi  issue.  Books  so  drawn  may  be  retained  for  fourteen 
days.  If  at  the  end  of  that  period  the  borrower  desires 
the  same  book  for  a  longer  time,  he  may  have  it  "re- 
newed" by  presenting  his  card  at  the  receiving  desk  or 
at  the  nearest  delivery  station,  and  having  it  re-stamped. 
This  allows  the  book  to  be  kept  for  a  further  period  of 
two  weeks.  But  a  fine  of  three  cents  per  day  is  charged 
against  every  borrower  who  retains  a  book  longer  than 
the  stated  period  without  having  secured  a  renewal,  it 
should  also  be  noted  that  there  are  some  books,  recently 


*In  the  Open  Shelf  Room  and  in  all  the  branches,  patrons 
make  selection  by  personal  examination  of  books  on  the  shelves, 
to  which  they  are  given  unrestricted  access. 


The   Chicago   Public  Library        r.» 


purchased  and  in  great  demand,  which  may  be  kept  for 
seven  days  only,  and  may  not  be  renewed.  They  bear  a 
label  to  this  effect  on  the  front  cover. 

While  only  one  book  is  issued  upon  each  card,  a  pa- 
tron may  secure  the  use  of  a  number  of  books  at  one 
time  by  presenting  the  cards  of  friends  or  relatives,  as 
the  use  of  the  cards  is  not  limited  to  the  registered  hold- 
ers only.  The  latter,  however,  remain  responsible  for 
any  delinquency.  A  special  card  is  issued  to  the  teachers 
in  public  or  parochial  schools,  enabling  them  to  draw  as 
many  as  six  books  at  one  time  for  use  in  the  work  of  the 
school.  Special  groups  of  books  for  use  without  renewal 
for  periods  of  six  weeks,  and  classroom  libraries  of  fifty 
volumes  each  which  may  be  retained  six  months,  are  also 
provided. 

The  Delivery  Stations. — Mention  has  been  made  of 
the  delivery  stations,  by  means  of  which  the  Library 
reaches  many  readers  in  remote  sections  of  the  city  who 
could  scarcely  be  supplied  at  the  main  Library.  These 
stations  are  established  in  small  shops,  under  the  care  of 
the  shop-keepers,  wdio  are  paid  for  their  services.  The 
service  is  interchangeable.  A  borrower,  having  drawn 
a  book  at  the  main  Library,  may  return  it  at  a  station, 
and  vice  versa,  or  he  may  draw  books  at  one  station  and 
return  them  at  another.  Order  lists  for  books  may  be 
left  at  any  delivery  station  by  any  card-holder.  These 
lists  are  sent  to  the  Library  and  books  are  returned  by 
automobiles  making  daily  deliveries.  New  cards  are  also 
issued  through  the  stations,  and  finding  lists  arc  on  file 
to  aid  patrons  in  making  their  selections.  There  are  at 
present  ninety-three  delivery  stations  maintained  at  con- 


20        The   Chicago   Public   Library 

venient  points  throughout  the  city,  from  Rogers  Park 
on  the  north,  to  South  Chicago  and  west  to  Austin.  This 
service  is  entirely  free  to  card-holders. 

The  Reference  Department. — Co-ordinate  with  the 
Delivery  and  Stations  Departments,  whose  mission  it  is 
to  supply  books  for  home  reading,  is  the  Reference  De- 
partment, designed  to  serve  and  assist  readers  who  may 
come  to  pursue  their  studies  within  the  Library  building. 
This  department  controls  the  entire  resources  of  the  Li- 
brary. No  card  or  guaranty  of  any  sort  is  required,  the 
only  condition  being  that  books  shall  not  be  taken  from 
the  room.  All  books  that  circulate  for  home  use  may 
be  used  here,  and  in  addition  many  thousands  of  volumes 
not  adapted  to  general  circulation,  by  reason  of  their 
size,  their  costliness,  or  their  rarity,  are  at  the  free  dis- 
posal of  the  patrons  of  this  department.  A  staff  of 
trained  assistants  is  ready  to  lend  aid,  whether  wants  in- 
volve the  selection  of  a  course  of  reading,  the  prepara- 
tion of  an  essay  or  a  thesis  for  the  school,  the  study- 
class,  or  the  club,  or  merely  the  answer  to  a  single  ques- 
tion, the  source  of  a  quotation,  or  the  portrait  of  a  celeb- 
rity. But  most  of  all,  the  Reference  Department  oft'ers 
opportunities  to  the  enterprising  student  for  acquiring 
such  familiarity  with  books  and  with  bibliographical  tools 
and  "books  about  books''  as  will  quickly  render  him  in- 
dependent of  the  services  of  the  staff',  and  inspire  him 
with  a  degree  of  self-confidence  and  satisfaction  that  will 
add  greatly  to  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  his  studies. 

On  the  open  shelves  which  line  the  entire  west  wall  of 
the  Reference  Room  he  will  find,  freely  at  his  disposal, 
about  2,000  volumes  of  reference  books,  comprising  the 


The  Chicago   Public  Libra  i<\         vi 

standard  dictionaries  and  handbooks  in  all  departments 
of  knowledge,  general  encyclopaedias  in  English,  JM-encli. 
German,  Spanish,  Scandinavian,  and  Bohemian,  diction- 
aries of  the  classical  and  of  all  the  modern  languages, 
guides  to  history,  literature,  science,  art,  and  religion, 
biographical  dictionaries,  directories  of  the  principal  cit- 
ies, and  many  other  works  of  general  information.  In 
addition,  he  will  soon  learn  to  use  and  value  the  man\- 
bibliographies,  readers'  aids,  and  indexes  helpful  to  the 
student,  which  may  here  be  consulted.  With  the  idea  of 
directing  his  attention  to  this  highly  useful  class  of  time 
and  labor  saving  works,  the  titles  of  a  few  of  the  most 
comprehensive  may  be  mentioned. 

The  most  inclusive  are  the  annual  lists  of  all  books 
published  in  various  countries.  The  American  Catalogue 
and  its  predecessors  cover  this  field  for  American  pub- 
lications ;  the  United  States  Catalogue  gives  a  list  of  all 
American  books  now  in  print.  The  English  Catalogue. 
1835  to  date,  Kayser's  Biicherlexicon,  1T5()-11)UG,  and 
Lorenz's  Catalogue  General  de  la  Librairie  Francaise, 
1840-1905,  with  their  continuations,  are  the  correspond- 
ing publications  for  England,  Germany  and  France,  re- 
spectively. The  immense  mass  of  valuable  matter  cur- 
rently appearing  in  periodicals  is  admirably  indexed  and 
digested  in  the  w^ell-known  Poole's  Index,  covering  tlie 
period  from  1802  to  190(3,  and  continued  in  the  Annual 
Literary  Index,  the  Magazine  Index,  and  the  Readers' 
Guide  to  Periodical  Literature,  which  keep  the  Poole  in- 
dex closely  up  to  date.  The  A.  L.  A.  Index  to  General 
Literature  is  a  useful  key  to  books  made  up  of  collec- 
tions of  articles  upon  many  subjects,  and  as  a  help  in 


I   C      I.  1   U  R  A  R   N  •!.', 

finding  a  fugitive  essay  or  sketch.  It  gives  references  to 
countless  titles,  dealing  with  a  variety  of  topics  hidden  in 
the  collected  works  of  writers  or  in  volumes  of  miscel- 
laneous essays.  Sonnensche-'n's  ''Best  Books"  and  "A 
Reader's  Guide"  are  excellent  aids  in  the  choice  of  hooks. 
Larned's  "Literature  of  American  History"  is  a  hihlio- 
graphy  of  American  historical  literature,  annotated  and 
appraised  by  a  group  of  experts,  and  puljlished  Ijy  the 
American  Library  Association.  Similar  bibliographies, 
of  varying  excellence,  exist  for  many  other  branches  of 
literature.  A  useful  guide  to  these  and  to  reference 
books  generally  is  the  Kroeger's  "Guide  to  the  Study  and 
L^se  of  Reference  Books."  This  excellent  manual  will 
give  the  student  a  very  clear  view  of  the  best  of  the 
helps  ready  at  his  hand,  and  will  inevitably  lead  liim  to 
cultivate  a  closer  acquaintance  with  them.  All  of  these 
works  are  to  be  found  in  the  Reference  Department  of 
this  Library. 

The  Public  Card  Catalogue. — One  of  the  great  and 
indispensable  aids  to  the  usefulness  of  a  large  library  is 
a  complete  and  properly  arranged  catalogue.  Printed 
finding  lists,  while  possessing  many  advantages  of  econ- 
omy and  convenience,  have  distinct  limitations ;  the  new- 
est books  can  never  be  included;  each  successive  list  is 
"out  of  date"  almost  in  the  week  of  its  issue,  and  a  con- 
stantly multiplying  number  of  supplements  becomes  a 
hindrance  rather  than  a  help.  To  overcome  this  diffi- 
culty, libraries  have  for  many  years  availed  themselves 
of  the  "card  system,"  now  so  generally  used  in  business, 
and  the  library  card  catalogue,  easily  kept  up  by  the  ad.- 
dition   of  new   cards   for  each  new  book  added  to   the 


ac. 


B£RKu 


The  Chicago   Public   L  i  u  r  a  r  n 


shelves,  is  always  the  final  and  most  complete  key  to  its 
resources.  The  card  catalogue  of  the  Chicago  Public 
Library  which  is  open  for  the  public  use  is  situated  in 
a  room  immediately  adjoining  the  large  Reference  Room, 
on  the  fourth  floor.  It  is  contained  in  two  large  cases, 
aggregating  over  1,000  drawers,  and  comprises  over  500,- 
000  cards.  It  is  arranged  strictly  in  one  alphabetical  se- 
quence, from  A  to  Z,  and  contains  references,  to  every 
book  in  the  library,  (1)  by  its  author's  name,  (2)  by  its 
title,  and  (3)  by  the  subjects  of  which  it  treats.  A  reader 
who  desires  to  find  the  number  of  a  book  entitled  "The 
Russian  Advance,"  without  knowing  the  name  of  its 
author,  has  only  to  look  through  the  cards  under  "Rus- 
sian," where  he  will  find  a  card  which  tells  him  that  this 
book  bears  the  shelf  number  I,  8425  in  this  library,  and 
that  it  is  the  work  of  Albert  J.  Beveridge.  In  exactly 
similar  manner  the  reader  who  remembers  that  Senator 
Beveridge  has  written  a  book  about  Russian  interests 
ill  the  Far  East,  the  title  of  which  he  cannot  recall,  will 
find  the  card  under  Beveridge,  which  gives  him  the  in- 
formation he  is  seeking.  Again,  the  student  of  the  East- 
ern question,  or  of  the  economic  conditions  of  Russia, 
will  find  cards  under  these  headings  for  the  same  book. 
In  this  manner  the  contents  of  the  Library  have  been 
indexed,  carefully  and  exhaustively,  and  withal  so  simply 
that  it  requires  no  more  skill  to  find  an  author,  title,  or 
subject  in  the  card  catalogue  than  to  find  a  name  in  a 
directory  or  a  word  in  a  cUctionary. 

The  Art  Room. — This  room,  auxiliary  to  the  refer- 
ence department,  contains  not  solely  books  on  "art."  but 
artistic  books   upon   all   subjects;   elaborately   illustrated 


The   Chicago   Public  Library        'r. 

works,  editions  de  luxe,  and  all  books  that  by  reason  of 
their  rarity,  their  costliness,  or  their  beauty  require  spe- 
cial care  and  somewhat  closer  supervision  in  their  use 
than  is  exacted  in  other  departments  of  the  Library. 
Among  the  expensive  products  of  modern  book-making 
there  are  many  volumes,  indispensable  to  the  equipment 
ot  a  large  public  library,  whose  use  is  necessarily  sur- 
rounded with  certain  precautions,  requiring  special  fa- 
cilities. For  the  accommodation  of  such,  the  Art  Room 
was  established.  Here  are  portfolios  of  beautiful  en- 
gravings, copies  of  the  treasures  of  the  world's  great  gal- 
leries, the  finest  products  of  the  modern  graphic  arts, 
costly  works  on  painting,  pottery,  costume,  furniture, 
gold  and  silver-smithing,  and  many  other  departments  of 
art  work.  Here  artist  and  student,  designer,  and  dilet- 
tante congregate  to  derive  instruction  and  inspiration 
from  the  splendid  collections  assembled  for  their  use. 
Excellently  lighted,  commodious  and  quiet,  this  room  is 
in  every  detail  admirably  adapted  to  its  functions,  and 
forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  departments  of  the 
Library. 

In  connection  with  the  Art  Room  accommodations 
have  been  provided  for  those  who  desire  to  use  cameras 
for  the  purpose  of  copying  pictures,  or,  as  is  frequently 
done,  to  secure  fac-similes  of  printed  pages  of  some  of 
the  rare  works  in  the  library. 

The  Young  People's  Rooms. — The  well-grounded 
conviction  among  librarians  that  one  of  the  wisest  and 
most  far-reaching  of  a  library's  activities  is  that  of  in- 
teresting and  providing  for  the  younger  element  in  its 
constituency,    finds   expression   in   the   Thomas   Hughes 


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The  Chicago   Public  Library        2U 

Reading  Room  for  Young  People  appropriately  named 
for  the  Public  Library's  early  benefactor,  himself  the 
author  of  a  juvenile  classic.  Conducted  as  a  reading 
room,  and  adjacent  to  the  adult  reference  room,  on  the 
fourth  floor,  administered  by  a  special  staff,  and  equipped 
with  a  carefully  chosen  collection  of  books,  this  room 
is  planned  to  meet  the  demands  and  the  desires  of  the 
juvenile  patrons  of  the  main  Library;  to  offer  aid  and 
counsel  in  the  preparation  of  school  work,  essays,  and 
debates ;  to  direct  and  attract  their  tastes  toward  whole- 
some and  sane  channels ;  and  perhaps  incidentally,  to 
provide  a  pleasant  and  inviting  retreat  for  the  scant  leis- 
ure of  the  great  army  of  juvenile  bread-winners  em- 
ployed within  the  radius  of  a  mile  from  the  Library.  In 
the  small  hall  adjoining,  occasional  illustrated  lectures, 
talks,  and  readings  are  given,  and  reference  is  made  to 
the  available  literature  of  the  subjects  treated,  by  way  of 
teaching  the  use  and  value  of  books  in  daily  life.  Oral 
story-telling,  a  method  of  interesting  children  w^hich  has 
been  adopted  with  great  success  by  libraries,  is  employed 
niore  freely  in  the  numerous  branch  reading  rooms  estab- 
lished in  the  residence  districts  than  in  the  Thomas 
Hughes  Room,  since  the  patronage  of  the  latter  is.  nat- 
urally and  properly,  limited  to  older  children,  and  no  ef- 
fort is  made  to  attract  the  very  young  to  the  central  build- 
ing '*dow^n  town." 

The  Reading  Room.— The  Reading  Room  for  cur- 
rent periodicals  is  one  of  the  largest  rooms  in  the  build- 
ing occupying  the  entire  north  front  on  the  fourth  tloor. 
Nearly  twelve  hundred  publications  are  regularly  received 
and  kept  on  file  here,  comprising  all  the  popular  American 


The   Chicago   Public  Library        :;i 

and  English  periodicals,  reviews,  and  weeklies,  a  selec- 
tion of  the  best  publications  in  German,  French,  and  other 
continental  languages,  and  daily  newspapers  from  every 
important  city  in  the  United  States  and  every  capital 
and  many  other  cities  of  Europe.  Trade  and  professional 
journals  of  many  kinds  are  also  included.  Files  of  all 
periodicals,  dating  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  current 
year,  may  be  consulted  in  this  department.  The  bound 
volumes  of  earlier  years  are  kept  in  the  Reference  De- 
partment. 

Files  of  bound  newspapers  are  stored  in  a  special  room 
on  the  first  floor,  and  may  be  had  for  reference  in  the 
Patents   and   Documents   Department. 

Patents  and  Documents  Department. — The  contents 
of  this  department,  as  its  name  implies,  include  the  re- 
ports of  patents  granted  for  inventions  in  the  United 
wStates  since  1790,  in  Great  Britian  since  1617,  Germany 
since  the  foundation  of  the  empire,  France  since  the  time 
of  Napoleon  I,  and  Canada  since  1873.  Copyright  and 
trade-mark  records  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Brit- 
ain are  also  to  be  found  here.  These  publications,  num- 
bering thousands  of  volumes,  many  of  them  high-priced 
and  scarce,  are  of  exceeding  importance  to  inventors  and 
patent  solicitors  in  determining  priority  of  invention  or 
the  state  of  the  arts.  Much  of  the  patronage  of  the  de- 
partment is  composed  of  this  class. 

The  Chicago  PubHc  Library  is  a  ''depository  library" 
designated  to  receive  all  government  publications  as  is- 
sued.   These  embrace  the  complete  journals  of  the  trans 
actions  of  Congress,  the  messages  of  the  Presidents,  re- 
ports of  the  various  departments  and  bureaus,  and  an 


i 


The   Chicago   Public   L 


1 13  R  A  k  ^' 


immense  mass  of  special  documents  as  well  as  accounts 
of  first-hand  investigations  and  experiments  conducted 
by  government  experts  in  all  the  various  fields  and 
branches  of  political,  industrial,  and  scientific  activity 
covered  by  our  national  government.  Added  to  these 
are  the  publications  of  many  of  the  states  of  the  Union, 
and  of  foreign  countries,  frequently  of  the  highest  value. 
The  mining  reports  of  some  of  the  western  states  are 
veritable  text-books  of  mineralogy;  the  agricultural  re- 
ports give  at  first  hand  the  results  of  experiments  in  the 
production  of  crops  and  the  conditions  of  climate,  soil, 
and  water  in  various  sections.  The  British  government 
has  issued  several  splendid  series  of  reprints  from  its 
archives,  which  are  invaluable  to  the  student.  All  these, 
and  many  more,  are  to  be  had  in  this  department.  This 
room  has  also  been  made  the  repository  of  a  valuable 
collection  of  early  Chicago  newspapers,  dating  back  to 
the  days  of  small  beginnings.  Complete  files  of  many 
ci  the  dailies  of  the  city,  of  the  London  Times  since  1873, 
with  partial  sets  of  a  few  New  York  papers,  containing 
such  interesting  matter  as  the  contemporary  newspaper 
record  of  the  Civil  War  and  other  historical  events,  are 
included  in  this  collection. 

Books  for  the  Blind. — The  Library  possesses  an  at- 
tractive collection  of  1,200  volumes  of  books  for  the 
blind,  including  two  current  monthly  magazines,  printed 
ill  four  systems  of  raised  characters,  known  as  the  Moon, 
Braille,  American  Line,  and  New  York  Point  systems. 
These  books  may  be  used  in  the  Patents  and  Documents 
Department,  and  may  be  drawn  for  home  reading  from 
the  main  library  or  through  the  Delivery   stations.     A 


m 


X 


i 


iu 


I 


BLACKSTONE  BRANCH,   INTERIOR 


The   Chicago   Public  Librae 


35 


special  catalogue  of  these  books,  with  annual  additions, 
may  be  had  at  the  main  library  and  at  all  its  branches. 

The  Branch  Reading  Rooms.— The  wide  distribu- 
tion of  Chicago's  population  has  made  it  necessary  to 
provide  small  branch  or  deposit  libraries  in  the  residence 
districts,  thus,  in  a  measure,  carrying  the  benefits  of  the 
Library  to  those  who  cannot  conveniently  come  to  it. 
These  are  established  at  convenient  points  throughout 
the  city  and  were  formerly  housed  in  rented  quarters, 
frequently  in  narrow  stores  which  possess  the  one  ad- 
vantage of  being  the  only  procurable  space  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. But  arrangements  recently  made  with  park 
boards  have  enabled  the  Library  to  install  attractive  little 
reading  rooms  in  suitable  quarters  set  aside  in  the  field 
houses  of  many  of  the  small  parks  that  are  being  created 
ill  congested  sections.  These  small  segments  of  the  Pub- 
lic Library,  each  containing  from  one  to  three  thousand 
volumes  are  open  daily  from  1  o'clock  to  9  p.  m.  A  good- 
l)-  portion  of  well-chosen  juvenile  books  serves  to  at- 
tract the  children  of  the  neighborhood,  whose  interest  is 
further  enlisted  by  means  of  an  occasional  story  hour, 
when  stories  of  the  famous  myths  and  heroes  of  other 
times  and  climes  are  told  by  an  expert  children's  librarian. 
An  assortment  of  current  periodicals,  usually  selected 
with  reference  to  the  nationalities  of  the  vicinity,  is  kept 
on  file,  and  a  delivery  station  is  maintained  in  connection 
with  each  branch  reading  room.  By  agreement  with  the 
Board  of  Education  the  Library  has  opened  two  branch 
reading  rooms  in  public  school  buildings,  where  quarters, 
suitably  and  accessibly  situated,  and  supplied  with  light 
and  heat,  were  tendered  by  the  School  board,  the  Library 


36        The   Chicago   Public   Library 

board  undertaking  to  provide  the  books  and  supervision. 
These  rooms  serve  the  double  purpose  of  libraries  for 
the  schools  and  reading  rooms  for  the  general  public,  the 
hours  of  opening  being  the  same  as  those  for  the  other 
reading  rooms.  A  full  list  of  the  branch  reading  rooms 
will  be  found  in  the  appendix. 

The  T.  B.  Blackstone  Memorial  Branch  Library.— 
This  beautiful  structure  is  worthy  of  particular  mention, 
not  only  because  it  is  one  of  the  finest  and  costliest  library 
buildings  of  its  size  in  the  world,  but  also  because  it 
marks  the  beginning  of  the  branch  library  system  in  Chi- 
cago. The  location  is  a  triangular  lot  at  the  intersection 
of  Lake  and  Washington  avenues  and  Forty-ninth  street. 
The  building  covers  a  rectangular  space  of  100  by  45 
feet,  with  entrance  on  Lake  avenue.  It  is  constructed  of 
white  granite  in  the  pure  Ionic-Grecian  style,  modeled 
after  the  famous  Erectheum  at  Athens.  The  interior  em- 
bodies a  book-room  on  the  left,  with  a  capacity  of  20,000 
volumes,  a  reading  room  on  the  right,  and  a  small  read- 
ing room  for  young  people  at  the  rear,  all  opening  from 
a  rotunda  that  is  finished  in  pure  Italian  statuary  marble, 
and  is  surmounted  by  a  dome  embellished  with  deco- 
rative panels  by  Oliver  Dannatt  Grover.  The  interior 
finish  is  of  the  finest  mahogany  and  marble,  the  book- 
stacks  being  constructed  of  bronze,  with  mahogany 
shelves.  The  structure,  fully  equipped,  together  with  the 
lot  on  wdiich  it  stands,  were  the  gift  of  Mrs.  T.  B.  Black- 
stone,  in  memory  of  the  late  Timothy  B.  Blackstone,  a 
prominent  and  wealthy  citizen  of  Chicago.  It  is  operated 
as  a  branch  library,  having  some  15,000  volumes  on  its 
shelves,  which  are  circulated  for  home  service,  or  may  be 


The   Chicago   Public  Library 


used  in  the  beautiful  reading  room  in  the  building.  Di- 
rect connection  with  the  central  Library  is  secured  by 
means  of  a  telephone  and  a  deHvery  station,  so  that  books 
required  for  a  special  purpose  may  be  quickly  transferred 
from  the  larger  collection. 

The  Library  and  the  Public  Schools.— What  the  Li- 
brary can  do  for  the  public  school  depends  largely  upon 
the  degree  of  receptivity  and  interest  manifested  on  the 
part  of  principals,  teachers,  and  pupils.  The  Library 
now  issues  special  cards  to  teachers,  upon  which  six 
books  may  be  drawn  at  one  time.  It  also  honors  requisi- 
tions for  large  numbers  of  books  for  use  in  the  school- 
room, when  made  by  the  principals  of  high,  grammar, 
and  primary  schools.  The  books  so  issued  will  be  con- 
veyed between  the  Public  Library  and  the  respective 
school  buildings  at  the  expense  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. 

Through  its  Reference  Department,  the  Library  is 
ready  to  assist  teachers  and  pupils  engaged  in  collateral 
reading,  in  preparing  essays  or  debates,  and  in  looking 
up  references.  Teachers  are  invited  and  urged  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  resources  of  this  department  at  all 
times,  and  especially  to  bring  their  classes  whenever  addi- 
tional study  or  illustrative  matter  upon  a  given  topic  is 
desired.  Notification  sent  to  the  Library  in  advance  of 
such  visit  insures  the  reservation  of  specially  assembled 
collections  of  books  upon  any  designated  subject.  The 
attention  of  the  older  pupils,  especially,  should  be  called 
to  the  Library  and  its  resources,  and  the  habit  of  inde- 
pendent research  should  be  encouraged  and  stimulated 
whenever  possible.    As  the  Reference  Department  is  open 


38        The   Chicago   Public  Library 

until  10  o'clock  p.  m.,  on  every  week  day,  the  evening 
hours  would  seem  unusually  convenient  for  teachers  and 
pupils  of  the  higher  grades,  particularly  as  other  demands 
upon  the  staff  are  generally  lighter  at  this  time,  and  more 
attention  can  be  given  to  the  individual  students. 


The   Chicago   Public  Library 


NAMES  AND  INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE 
CHICAGO  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

WASHINGTON  STREET  ENTRANCE 


IRVING 

LIVY 

HAWTHORNE 

HORACE 

BRYANT 

VIRGIL 

WHITTIER 

CICERO 

EMERSON 

PLATO 

LONGFELLOW 

HOMER 

DELIVERY   ROOM,    OUTER    HALL 

POE  LOWELL  BANCROFT  MOTLEY 

STOWE  HOLMES  PRESCOTT  PARKMAN 


BORN  MDCCVI  DIED  MDCCXC 

BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN 

FOVNDER   OF  THE   CIRCVLATING  LIBRARY 


A  GOOD  BOOK  IS  THE 
PRECIOVS  LIFE  BLOOD 
OF  A  MASTER  SPIRIT 
SWIFT  JOHNSON  EMBALMED  AND 

SHERIDAN        LAMB  TREASVRED  VP  ON 

PVRPOSE  TO  A  LIFE 
BEYOND    LIFE 

MILTON 


40 


The   Chicago   Public   Library 


THE  REAL  VSE  OF  ALL 
KNOWLEDGE  IS   THIS, 
THAT  WE   SHOVED 
DEDICATE  THAT  REA- 
SON WHICH  WAS   GIVEN 
VS  BY  GOD  FOR  THE  VSE 
AND    ADVANTAGE    OF 
MAN  BACON 


COLERIDGE 
MOORE 


HOOD 

DE  QVINCY 


A  LIBRARY  IMPLIES 
AN  ACT  OF  FAITH 
SCOTT  W^HICH  GENERATIONS 

BVRNS  STILL  IN  DARKNESS 

TENNYSON  HID  SIGN  IN  THEIR 

GRAY  NIGHT  IN  WITNESS  OF 

THE  DAW^N 

VICTOR   HUGO 


THACKERAY 
ELIOT 
BVLWER 
DICKENS 


WORDSWORTH 
POPE 
BYRON 
SHELLEY 


HE  THAT  LOVETH  A 
BOOK  WILL  NEVER 
WANT  A  FAITHFVL 
FRIEND,  A  WHOLE- 
SOME COVNSELLOR, 
A  CHEERFVL  COM- 
PANION, AN  EFFECT- 
VAL  COMFORTER 

ISAAC  BARROW 


MACAVLAY 
GIBBON 
CARLYLE 
HVME 


The 

Chicago   Public  L] 

[BRARY            11 

DELIVERY    ROOM 

BOOKS  ARE  THE  LEG- 

ACIES THAT  A  GREAT 

GENIVS  LEAVES  TO 

CHAVCER 

MANKIND  WHICH  ARE 

DANTE 

SPENSER 

DELIVERED  DOWN 

TASSO 

SHAKSPERE 

FROM  GENERATION 

GALILEO 

BACON 

TO  GENERATION  AS 

CERVANTES 

MILTON 

PRESENTS  TO  THE 

MOLIERE 

BVNYAN 

POSTERITY  OF  THOSE 

CORNEILLE 

DRYDEN 

WHO  ARE  YET 

VOLTAIRE 

NEWTON 

VNBORN 

GOETHE 

DEFOE 

ADDISON 

SCHILLER 

EGYPTIAN    INSCRIPTION 

TRANSLATIONS  OF  INSCRIPTIONS  IN  THE  EAST  AND 
WEST  WINGS  OF  THE  DELIVERY  ROOM: 

Men  are  equal ;  it  is  not  birth  but  worth  that  makes 
the  difference.  Voltaire. 


42        The    C  h  i  c  a  c  o    Public    Library 


Open  thy  mind  to  what  I  now  unfold, 

And  give  it  inward  keeping.     Knowledge  comes 

Of  learning  well  retained,  unfruitful  else. 

Dante. 

Whatever  things  were  written  aforetime  were  written 
for  our  learning.  Rom.  xr.  4.     VnJgatcc. 


Oh  sweet  voice  !    Much  welcome  sound 
Of  mother  tongue  in  foreign  land. 


Goethe. 


Thus  every  man  of  real  learning 

Is  anxious  to  increase  his  lore ; 
And  feels,  in  fact,  a  greater  yearning 

The  more  he  knows,  to  know  the  more. 

Yriarte. 

I  will  make  thee  to  love  literature  thy  mother ;  I  will 
make  its  heauties  pass  before  thee. 

Proverb  of  Tuauii-se-KliartJnii. 

And  the  book  is  delivered  unto  him  that  is  not  learned, 
saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee.  Isaiah  .v.vi.v.  12. 

They  who  by  genius  and  by  power  of  brain 
The  rank  of  man's  enlighteners  attain, 
Not  even  they  emerge  from  this  dark  night, 
But  tell  their  dreams  and  fall  asleep  again. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

He  who  from  day  to  day  recognizes  what  he  has  not 
yet,  and  from  month  to  month  does  not  forget  what  he 
has  attained  to,  may  be  said  indeed  to  love  to  learn. 

Cofifueius. 

The  advice  which  their  friends  have  not  the  courage 
to  give  to  kings  is  found  written  in  books. 

Plutarch. 


The   Chicago   Public  Library 


REFERENCE    ROOM 

BOOKS   ARE  THE  BEST  THINGS  WELL  VSED 
ABVSED,  AMONG  THE  WORST 

EMERSON 


HE  READS  MVCH,  HE  IS  A  GREAT  OBSERVER 
AND  HE  LOOKS  QVITE  THROVGH  THE  DEEDS 
OF  MEN  SHAKESPEARE 


KNOWLEDGE  IS  OE  TWO  KINDS.  WE  KNOW 
A  SVBJECT  OVRSELVES  OR  WE  KNOW  WHERE 
WE  CAN  FIND  INFORMATION  VPON  IT 

SAMUEL  JOHNSON 


READING  ROOM 

WE   ARE    AS    LIABLE   TO    BE    CORRVPTED    BY 

BOOKS   AS    BY   COMPANIONS 

FIELDING 


THE  WORLD  IS  FOVNDED  ON  THOVGHTS 
AND  IDEAS,  NOT  ON  COTTON  OR  IRON 

EMERSON 


44 


The    Chicago    Public   Library 


THE  CHICAGO  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

Washington  Street,  Michigan  Avenue,  Randolph  Street, 
Garland  Court. 

BRANCHES 
Blackstone,  49th  St.  and  Lake  Av. 
Lewis  Institute,  1943  W.  Madison  St. 
Austin,  5642  Lake  St. 
Burr  School,  Ashland  and  Wabansia  Avs. 
Lincoln  Center,  Oakwood  Boul.  and  Langley  Av. 
Lawndale,  Millard  Av.  and  23rd  St. 
26th  Street,  3347  W.  26th  St. 
West  Park  1,  Chicago  Av.  and  Noble  St. 
West  Park  2,  14th  PL  and  Union  St. 
West  Park  3,  20th  and  Fisk  Sts. 
Sherman,  Loomis  and  W.  53rd  Sts. 
Cornell,  Wood  and  W.  51st  Sts. 
Mark  White,  Halsted  and  30th  Sts. 
Hebrew  Institute,  Taylor  and  Lytle  Sts. 


DELIVERY   STATIONS 


NORTH 


1  N.     Elm    and    Orleans 

Sts.,  Seward  Park 

2  N.     2004  Larrabee  St. 

3  N.     2544  Lincoln  Av. 

4  N.     4356  N.  Hermitage 

Av.,    Ravenswood 
5N.     4016    Lincoln    Av., 

Cuyler 
6  N.     651  North  Av. 
7N.     7013  N.  Clark  St., 

Rogers  Park 


8  N.     3175    Lincoln    Av., 

Gross  Park 

9  N.     5708    Ridge    Ave., 

Edgewater 
ION.     3230   N.   Clark   St. 

11  N.     3701  N.  Halsted  St. 

12  N.     1126     Argyle     St., 

Argvle 

13  N.     1133  Wilson  Av. 

14  N.     6175  Evanston  Av. 

15  N.     5042  N.  Clark  St. 


The    Chicago    ; 

Public   Library        i:, 

SOUTH 

IS. 

52  E.  22nd  St. 

19  S, 

45th  St.  and  Marsh- 

2S. 

304  E.  31st  St. 

field    Av.,    Davis 

3S. 

Oakwood  Boul  and 

Square 

Langley  Av.,  Lin- 

20 S. 

8671  Vincennes  Av. 

coln  Center 

21  S. 

5523  S.  Halsted  St. 

4S. 

563  W.  43rd  St. 

22  S. 

64th  St.  and  Center 

5S. 

49th  St.  and  Lake 

Av.,  Ogden  Park 

Av.,  Blackstone. 

23  S. 

33rd  St.  and  Shields 

6S. 

443    W.    63rd    St., 

Av.,  Armour  Sq. 
7502  Saginaw  Av., 

Englewood 

24  S. 

7S. 
8S. 

2876    Archer    Av., 

Bridgeport 
89th  St.  and  Mus- 

25 S. 

Windsor  Park 
5005  State  St. 

kegon  Av.,  Besse- 

26 S. 

6603  Cottage  Grove 

mer  Park 

Av. 

9S. 

9901  Ewing  Av. 

27  S. 

3534  63rd  St.,  Chi- 

10 S. 

72nd  St.  and  Nor- 

cago Lawn 

mal    Av.,    Hamil- 

28 S. 

5902  Wentworth 

ton  Park 

Av. 

lis. 

956  E.  55th  St. 

29  S. 

629  92nd  PI.,  Burn- 

12  S. 

336  E.  39th  St. 

side 

13  S. 

541  E.  47th  St. 

30  S. 

313  E.  58th  St. 

MS. 

657  W.   120th   St., 

31  S. 

553  E.  71st  St. 

W.  Pullman 

32  S. 

94th  St.  and  Win- 

15 S. 

11100    Michigan 

chester  Av.,  Bev- 

16 S. 

Av.,  Roseland 
146    W.    69th    St., 

erly  Hills 

Normal  Park 

33  S. 

3805  Washtenaw 

17  S. 

1304    E.    63rd    St., 

Av. 

Woodlawn 

34  S. 

68th  St.  and  Stew- 

18 S. 

1246    E.    75th    St., 

art    Av.,    Normal 

Grand  Crossing 

School 

46 

The    Chicago    P 

'  u  B  L I c    Library 

WEST 

1  W. 

14th  PL  and  Union 

22  W. 

636     X.     Lawndale 

St.,     West     Park 

Av. 

Xo.  2 

23  W. 

4056  W.  Xorth  Av. 

2W. 

1722  Grand  Av. 

24  W. 

Grand  Av.  and 

3W. 

1943    W.    ]^Iadison 

Morgan  St. 

St..    Lewis    Insti- 

25 W. 

5642  Lake  St.,  Aus- 

tute 

tin 

4W. 

1813     S.     Ashland 

26  W. 

2248  W.  Ohio  St. 

Av. 

27  W. 

4209  Armitage  Av. 

5W. 

1560  ^Milwaukee 

28  W. 

3054    W.    Harrison 

Av. 

St. 

6  W. 

728  S.  Western  Av. 

29  W. 

426  X\  Kedzie  Av. 

7W. 

1625   N.  Cahfornia 

30  W. 

1959    W.    20th    St., 

Av. 

Gads  Hill  Center 

8W. 

3555  Ogden  A  v. 

31  W. 

3123-3125  \Y.  22nd 

9W. 

1011    A\'.    Harrison 

St. 

St. 

32  W. 

334T  W.  26th  St. 

10  W. 

4035    \\\    ^ladison 

33  \\'. 

4822  ?^Iilwaukee 

Garfiekl  Park 

Av. 

11  W. 

4200     Irving    Park 

34  W. 

5124    \y.     Chicago 

BouL,  Irving  Park 

Av.,  Austin 

12  W. 

2822    W.    :\Iadison 

35  W. 

20th  and  Fisk  Sts., 

St. 

Field  House  X^'o.  3 

13  W. 

3240    \\'.    Behnont 

36  W. 

Chicago     Av.     and 

Av.,  Avondale 

Xoble    St.,    Field 

14  W. 

2639    X.    Rockwell 

House  X^o.  1 

St.,  Alaplewood 

37  W. 

2659  Monticello 

15  W. 

4431    X.   47th   Av., 

Av. 

!Mavfair 

38  W. 

3406  W.  Xorth  Av. 

16  W. 

4055' W.    26th    St., 

39  W. 

610  X.  48th  Av. 

Crawford 

40  \\'. 

Ashland    and    Wa- 

17  W. 

3306  W.  12th  St. 

bansia  Avs.,  Burr 

18  W. 

2286  Alilwaukee 

School 

Av. 

41  W. 

2063  W.  12th  St. 

19  W. 

3605  Armitage  Av. 

42  W. 

1105   X\   Cahfornia 

20  W. 

6013     Ceylon     Av., 

Av. 

X^orwood  Park 

43  \\\ 

IMillard      Av      and 

21  W. 

Taylor     and    Lytle 

23  rd    St.,    Lawn- 

Sts.,    Hebrew    In- 

dale 

stitute 

44  W. 

62S  S.  48th  Av. 

The    Chicago    P  u  b  l  i  c    L  i  b  r  a  r  v        -ir 

FINDING  LISTS 

English   Prose    Fiction   and  Juvenile    Books, 

1907    10  cents. 

History  and  Biography,  8th  ed.,  1901 15  cents. 

Geography  and  Travels,  8th  ed.,  1904 10  cents. 

Poetry,  Drama,  Essays,  Miscellanies  and  Col- 
lected Works,  8th  ed.,  1904 10  cents. 

Language  and  Literature,  Greek  and  Roman 
Classics,  Bibliography,  Periodicals,  8th 
ed.,   1905    10  cents. 

Fine  Arts,  8th  ed.,  1907 10  cents. 

Useful  Arts,  8th  ed.,  1908 10  cents. 

Natural  Sciences,  8th  ed.,  1909 10  cents. 

Political   Science,   Social   Science,   Education, 

7th   ed.,    1893 10  cents. 

Philosophy,  Religion,  IMedicine,  Law,  7th  ed., 

1894    10  cents. 

First   Supplement  to  7th  ed..   Finding  Lists, 

1895    10  cents. 

Second  Supplement  to  7th  ed..  Finding  Lists, 

1899    10  cents. 

Monthly  Bulletins,  each  IG  pp.,  containing 
lists  of  all  new  books  in  the  English  lan- 
guage added  to  the  Library,  supplement 
the  foregoing  hnding  lists. 

FOREIGN  LISTS 

German  (2  parts) 15  cents. 

French,     Italian,     Spanish,     Portuguese     (2 

parts)    15  cents. 


o 

CD 

m 
7^ 


-< 


CO 

I 


48 


The    Chicago    Public    Library 


Danish,   Norwegian,    Swedish 5  cents. 

Dutch   5  cents. 

Pohsh    (2  parts) 10  cents. 

Russian  (2  parts) 10  cents. 

Bohemian   5  cents. 

Yiddish    5  cents. 

Hungarian  (In  Bulletin  40) 3  cents. 

Japanese,  Chinese  (In  Bulletin  85) 3  cents. 

Bulletins  55,  60,  65,  70,  75,  80,  85,  90,  supple- 
ment the  foregoing  foreign  lists. 


No. 

1. 

No. 

2 

No. 

3. 

No. 

4. 

No. 

5. 

No. 

6. 

No. 

i . 

SPECIAL  BULLETINS 

Memorial  Day  and  Patriotism 3  cents. 

Halloween,  Thanksgiving  Day, 

Christmas,  New  Year's  Day 3  cents. 

Easter   3  cents. 

Shakespeare    3  cents. 

Municipal    Government 3  cents. 

Books   for  Boys 3  cents. 

Abraham    Lincoln 3  cents. 


SPECIAL  LISTS 


St.  Patrick. 
Robert  Emmet. 


REPORTS,  ETC. 

Annual  Report,  1st  to  36th,  1873-1908. 
Handbook  for  Readers  and  Visitors. 


•-''•A^-:,', 


,    ,,   HFRKFl  (  Y  LIBRAH 


CDt.75blli5^ 


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